The newly formed Energy Policy Board has been called into question by two MHKs.

In the House of Keys this week, Douglas South MHK, Claire Christian, and Douglas Central MHK Chris Thomas asked the Chief Minister, Alfred Cannan and Treasury Minister, Alex Allinson, on the matter. The Board, which was announced in Mr Cannan’s mid-term statement last month, aims to bring more coordination to the provision and delivery of energy policy.

Whilst no budget has been allocated, Dr Allinson says that it is recognised that funding will be required to finance the necessary work. He said that the Council of Ministers supported in principle that £500,000 will be made available from the Economic Strategy Fund but added that further funding bids are anticipated to be made to Treasury.

Mr Cannan said that the membership of the Board was decided on the basis of Ministerial responsibilities that fell within the remit of the Energy Policy Board and decision-making across government.

He said ‘We were careful not to create a majority of ministers in the committee to protect decision-making in Council if required.’

He added that the terms of reference states that all members are required to abide by collective responsibility.

But Mr Thomas said that the majority of the members are Ministers, with Mrs Christian asking why the chair of the Climate Change Board is not on the Energy Policy Board. Mr Cannan said: ‘There’s many multi-million pounds worth of taxpayer investment at stake here, there’s also many multi- million pounds worth of revenue, and there is a huge matter of energy security at stake.

‘The Council of Ministers have been discussing these matters for over a decade. Progress is slow, and that coordination across departments is lacking.’